What could make my throat start to close up?

I don?t know what?s going on. I haven?t been sick or anything, but my throat is closing up lately and makes it hard to breathe. My heart rate also seems high.

Answer

You should go to see your doctor. Any time you feel that you are having trouble breathing, this could be serious and should be evaluated immediately. If the symptoms are severe, you may want to go to the emergency room rather than waiting to see your doctor in an office visit.
The most concerning possibility would be that you are having an allergic reaction. This would be most common if you have a known history of food allergies, asthma, eczema, and the like. However, new allergies can develop suddenly in some people. If this is an allergic reaction it will need to be treated promptly to protect your breathing and prevent your throat from closing off.
Other symptoms that would be consistent with an allergic reaction would include hives or a skin rash and swelling around the eyes or lips or swelling of the tongue. However, these do not have to be present for it to be a serious reaction.
Once you have been evaluated to make sure that this is not an allergic reaction (and properly treated if it is) your doctor will help you figure out what other things could be going on that could be giving you these symptoms.

This answer is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.